Mommy Makeover - Will There be Scars?

After a woman gives birth, she might want to try and regain her pre-pregnancy look which can include reshaping the body and making it tighter and more toned in appearance. When it comes to having a mommy makeover, it is important to remember that the process includes more than one procedure to achieve the desired results. For example, a mommy makeover often involves surgeries as varied as a tummy tuck, breast augmentation/breast lift, and liposuction that help a patient gain a more youthful and rejuvenated look to the body. One of the most common concerns that surgeons hear when meeting with a patient is whether or not there will be a scar after the surgery. Here is a look at the topic of scars related to having a mommy makeover.

Mommy Makeover and Scars – Inside Scoop

Patients need to know that almost all incisions can result in a scar. The location of the scar depends on the area of the body where the incision is created by the surgeon. In general, the body triggers a natural wound healing process when the surface of the skin is cut by the doctor or during an accident. If the cut is the size of a scratch or simply a minor cut, there can often be no visual evidence of the cut once it is healed. If the cut is larger due to trauma to the body or a surgical incision, the area of the body with the cut will likely have a noticeable scar once the body has finished repairing the damage.

Unfortunately, there is not a way to perform surgery (yet) that does not leave any scarring after the incisions made during the surgery heal. Having said that, modern scar therapies can give a person a dramatic improvement when it comes to the appearance of a scar, and this can be discussed with the surgeon during the consultation appointment.

Placing the Incision – How It Impacts the Scar

One of the main methods to make sure scars are not visible is placing the incision in a hidden or inconspicuous location so the appearance of any scarring is minimized. In addition, a mommy makeover is a customized procedure which means the location of any incisions will vary per person. Here are some further details about where incisions are often placed for the most common procedures performed during a mommy makeover:

• Liposuction only needs incisions that are small enough that the surgeon can insert the cannula into the targeted area of the body. The cannula is used to break apart fat cells and also suction them out of the body. The incisions are generally small so any scarring will also be minimal in appearance.
• Breast enhancement (such as breast augmentation achieved by breast implants that are often combined with a breast lift) can improve the look of breasts that have been impacted by the birth process. The breasts can often start to droop and lose their youthful and perky appearance. A breast lift helps to raise the elevation of the breasts and breast implants add a greater size and volume to the breasts. In many cases, the incision for a breast lift will need to circle the areola (which is the darker skin that surrounds the nipple) and then move downwards into, or towards, the breast crease. The breast implants can usually be placed using the same incisions as the breast lift.
• Abdominoplasty (AKA a tummy tuck) requires an incision that runs from one side of the hip to the other side. The incision needs to be this long in order for the surgeon to easily access and remove any excess tissue and skin in the treated area. The plastic surgeon can often place the incision as low as possible in the abdomen area so the scar can be hidden by a bikini bottom or by underwear worn by the patient.

Keep in mind that this is just a broad overview of the placement of incisions during common mommy makeover procedures. The surgeon will give a better idea and overview of what to expect when it comes to the body of a specific patient. There are times when the scars will fade on their own as times passes and there are other times when the surgeon might need to perform scar revision surgery on a certain area of the body.

Incisions – Properly Caring for Them on the Body

In addition to the instructions given by the surgeon, patients can follow a few steps on their own to reduce the look of any scars.

For example, the patient can gently clean new incisions and then apply scar cream that can help the wounds heal faster (thanks to Vitamin E) and also improve the texture of the scar. In addition, some surgeons recommend the use of silicone sheets that are placed on top of an incision to flatten them and also change the color of the scar to a more natural skin color. The healing of scars after a mommy makeover is also helped by the patient not smoking and not exposing the scar or incision to the sun or any type of UV light.

The steps listed above help incisions to heal and also minimize the risk of scars gaining a color that is much lighter or darker than the skin that surrounds the area with the scar.

- MA